Wings and (other great) Things

The Internet recently listed the top 10 Best Wings served by chain restaurants. To me, they all taste the same.

If you want wings that are more daring and tasty, mosey on over to Wings and Things at 250 Brook Street on Providence’s East Side.

Joyce likes her wings hot and I do not, so with over 20 sauces to choose from we can both satisfy our taste buds. The sauces range from mild to “atomic,” which is listed after X-hot, Scorching and Blistering. The Cajun is very tasty, perfect for Joyce, but a challenge for me.

We figured that over the course of a year we could try them all, but they keep adding new ones, like the Jack Daniels sauce we devoured last week.

They do a big take-out and delivery business, especially with the Brown and RISD students and the police sub-station next door. (You know your car is safe in the strip mall parking lot.) We prefer eating there because we can leave the bones and sauce-covered napkins for their trash collector. They give you plenty of napkins and wipes, plus a side of bleu cheese and carrots and three times as much sauce as the chains.

You can get your chicken on the wing or as tenders or boneless chunks. We prefer the good old-fashioned wings with all their messiness.

The other great things on the menu include popcorn and buffalo shrimp, which are great with bleu cheese or ranch dressing. Joyce prefers the Cajun. The french fries also come Cajun and seasoned, or you may prefer cheese or chili cheese fries. Macaroni and cheese, dirty rice and red beans, baked beans and rice, join chili and cheese nachos as must-haves.

Other “Things” include combos, Black Angus beef burgers with toppings ranging from $4.69 to the $5.89 bacon burger, plus a variety of chicken, pork, steak and other ingredients in sandwiches and wraps.

The key word is still “chicken”, and for us wings are the way to go. We have always found the wings to be of good size, with plenty of meat on the bone and cooked just right.

Prices are quite reasonable, beginning with five pieces for $4.30, up to 100 for $49.45. We make a meal out of 20 for $11.60.

You can phone ahead. (369-7551). It takes about 15 minutes to cook them properly. Open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.